Musical tot



(No Model.) 2 sheets-'sheen 1. Y

W. A.GAY.1 MUSICAL TOY.

N0. 292,645@ Y Patented .13.11.29, 1884.

Vlllllllllllmlliil` Z Unirn SrnT-Es MUSICAL TOY.

'PATENT @Erica WILLIAM ALFRED GAY, or froNAwANDA, New YORK.

. SPECIFICATIOBI fcrniing part of Letters Patent No. 292,645, dated January 29, 1884.

- Application filed September 2S, 1883. (No model.)A

To all whom t 71mg/ concern,.-

Beit known that I, XVM. ALFRED GAY, of Tonawanda, in the county of Erie and Sta-te of N ew York, have invented a new and useful Improvement-in Musical Toys, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to the construction of a musical toy inwhich a succession of musical sounds is produced by a seriesof soun'demitting bars or tongues, which are struck successively, and whereby a tune, or a portion of a' tune,or any other desired succession of harmonious sounds, can be produced. y

The invention relates, more particularly, to the construction of the musical toy in the form of a hoop, which can be rolled along the ground, and which produces the succession of musical sounds as it is rolled along; but the invention may be embodied in various other toys'. I

My invention consists of the novel construction of the musical toy, which will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed out in theA claims.

a toy hoop provided with my improvement. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of the same. Fig. 3 is a view on an enlarged scale of the striking-finger and sound-emitting bars. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of my improved, musical hoop. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the hoop, showing a modiiied construction of the soundemitting bars. Fig. 6 is a vrear elevation at right angles to Fig. 5.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts in the several figures.

A represents a toy or-trundling hoop turn-A ing loosely upon a shaft or axle, a', to one end of which a handle, B, is rigidly secured.

C represents a series of sound-transmitting bars or tongues arranged in a circular row concentric with the axle of the hoop. The bars or tongues C are constructed of steel or other suitable material which will emit a musical sound when set in vibration, and are secured with their inner ends to a disk or plate, D, which is rigidly secured to the axle a. The

handle B and disk D are fastened to .opposite ends of the axle, and the hoop A turns. loosely on the axle between the disk and the handle, as represented in Fig. 2.

ve represents the striking finger or projection, secured to one'of the spokes f of the hoop, and adapted to come in contact with'the free ends `of the several bars C and deflect thesame suc- C are arranged with their fiat sides toward the hoop, and the striking-finger eis arranged on the inner sides of the bars C, and its inclined outer face deflects the same outwardly. Vhen the sounding-bars C are arranged in this manner, their outer ends terminate at di'erent distances from the axle, according to the different sounds'to be produced by the several bars, and

the striking-linger e is arranged near enough to the axle of the hoop so that it will reach the shortest bar. Upon rolling the hoop along the ground, the finger e deiiects the bars-C successively, and causes the same to emit a succession oi musical sounds. By selecting bars of the proper different lengths and arranging them-in the proper order, any desired tune or part of a tune may be produced.

As represented in Figs. 5 and 6, the sounding-bars C are arranged with their edges toward the hoop, and the striking-finger e is arranged to come in contact with the ends oi the bars and deflect the same in the direction in which the striking-nger revolves.- In this case the outer ends of the bars C are arranged in the same circle, and their inner ends are secured to the plate D lat varying distances from the axle, the plate being made of irregular outline for this purpose. -Theinclined face of the striking-finger deflects the soundingbars, and the square rear edge or back of the striking-finger permits'the bars to ily back and vibrate freely when the striking-nger has cleared the bars and prevents the hoop from being turned backwardly.'

It is obvious'that the same result will be attained when the striking-inger is attached to the handle or otherwise held stationary, and the series of sounding-bars are attached to the hoop and caused to rotate past the strikingfinger.

It is also obvious that, instead of setting the striking-finger or the series of sounding-bars in motion by a revolving hoop adapted to be rolled along` the ground, the desired movc ment may be produced by a hand-crank, and the succession of musical sounds be produced when holding the toy in the hand without any forward movement of the same.

The sounding-bars may be vibrated by a disk attached to the hoop, and provided with an opening which releases the bars when they coincide with the opening, the bars being delected by the disk, except when released by the opening in the disk.

I claim as my invention- 1. In a musical toy, the combination ol' a circular series of sound-emitting devices, and mechanism for successively striking-said son ndemitting devices, whereby they are caused to vibrate, substantially as set forth.

2. In a musical toy, the combination of a circular series of sound-emitting devices, an axle arranged centrally within said series, and mechanism mounted on said axle and adapted to come in contact successively with said soundemitting devices, whereby they are caused to vibrate, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, with a toy hoop, of a series of sound-emitting bars or tongues and mechanism whereby the saine are vibrated, substantially as set forth.

et. The combination, with a toy hoop, of a handle, a circular series of sound-emitting devices, and a striking-finger, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination of a toy hoop, an axle on which thc hoop turns loosely, a handle rigidly secured to the axle, a circular series of sound-emitting` devices attached to the axle, anda striking-f1nger attached to the hoop, substantially as set forth.

G. In amnsical toy, the combination, with a disk, D, of sound-emitting bars or tongues C, secured to said disk, substantially as set forth.

fitness my hand this 25th day of September, issn.

'WM'. ALFRED GAY.

V\\"iinesses:

Cani. F. Gnvnxz, JNO. J. loxvnl'a. 

